Work from home with efficiency!

Some people seem to think that it's difficult to work from home, due to the discipline that it takes. It really can be easy as long as you have the right attitude and focus. Easier said than done, you may say.... I've written a few tips to help to keep those distractions to a minimum.

First you need to set your tasks for the day the night before - this is indeed a discipline to get into. The last thing you do at night should be to plan the next day. I found this hard to get into the habit of doing, but it really works. If you set aside just 10 minutes the night before you can have your whole day planned. This means that you will have your day off to a flying start straight away, rather than wasting time and wondering what to do!!

It's also important to be focused - this is where planning comes in. You now already have your days' activities planned the night before, so you know what you've got to do. You then simply need to keep focused on that plan - again easier said than done! Complete your tasks one by one and don't deviate.

You need to start your day at a reasonable time too - if you work from home, you are your own boss. So you may think that you can have a lie in and start your day later. Or maybe you'll do a bit of housework before you start. Unfortunately this doesn't get your day off to the best start. If you treat your day like a professional work day you will get far more done.

Speaking of a professional work day, why not dress for success - this may work for some people but not for others. If you dress as if you were going out to work in an office it can really change your attitude. However, some people can have the right attitude dressed in their pajamas, so I guess it depends on you as a person. However, it's worth a try to see how it changes your day.

Another thing is to try to keep distractions to a minimum. People sometimes think that because you're working from home that you're not working. So they ask if they can pop around to see you, or could you just give them a lift somewhere. You need to think that this is your working time and block it out of your calendar. Of course, the beauty of working from home is that you can choose how you spend your time but you need to choose wisely. If there is something that you'd like to do during your normal working day, then you should go and do it but you need to make the time up elsewhere.

Also, keep email,MSN,Skype and Yahoo Messenger etc... to a minimum. In this day and age communication is instant and constant! I have trouble with this myself - if a new email comes in I used to read it straight away! I now restrict my email use and check it periodically throughout the day rather than having it on all the time.

Another very large distraction is the TV. This may seem obvious but keep the TV off! This could be a difficult one if you like the TV and watch a lot of it. I heard recently that people can spend an average of 6 hours a day watching the TV, this figure amazed me! The TV has got to be the worst distraction that you can have. If you are working you need to make sure that it stays off!

Also make sure that you have breaks when you need them. It may seem great that you've worked for 12 hours solidly, but it isn't very good for your productivity in the long run. You need to take short breaks throughout the day, especially if you're working in front of the computer. I am a culprit for getting carried away and not taking enough breaks, but I am now making a concerted effort to change this.

Last but not least, have your own work space; keep it separate from your living space. Of course this is sometimes difficult if you're working on the dining room table, but just try to make sure that you clear your work away once you've finished. It's good to have a clear definition of work and home life.

These are just a few ideas to help with the distractions whilst you're working from home. If you implement a few of them I'm sure it will help you to really enjoy working from home and to keep you focused.
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Eugene Rivera is an internet marketing protégé. He is the webmaster of Secrets of Online Success. Learn about all the money making techniques to achieve success on the Internet. Click on our webpage at http://www.secretsofonlinesuccess.info
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